354 PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



PRODUCTION. 



There is much undeveloped and very little developed water power 

 in this district. One small paper mill is established at a point about 

 45 miles west of here, which I have been unable to visit or hear 

 from, though I have delayed this report a month in the hope of ob- 

 taining some data. 



Coal and wood are both imported into this province, the former 

 from England and the United States, the latter from some hundreds 

 of miles up the Parana River. They are too expensive to employ 

 for paper machinery. 



I can hear of no use being made of vegetable fibers in the man- 

 ufacture of paper, though the supply is abundant. There are plenty 

 of well-equipped shops here, in which paper machinery might be 

 made, but none is made. 



IMPORTS AND BANKING AND MAIL FACILITIES. 



There are no available statistics from which I can compile an- 

 swers to the first three queries under this head. As to banking facil- 

 ities with each of the countries named above from which paper is 

 imported, I will say they are very complete. There is a weekly and 

 generally a semiweekly mail service to Europe. With the United 

 States, there are no banking facilities, except through foreign hands, 

 and no direct mail or freight steamer service. Therefore, I see no 

 openings here for competition of American with European paper 

 makers. The question as to what course the United States should 

 pursue to build up its exports to this district has been more elo- 

 quently answered from many other points in Latin America than 

 I could answer it, but I think the lack of ships and banks pointed 

 out above should be one little guideboard to the "proper course." 



JAMES M. AYERS, 



ROSARIO, March 8, 1899. Consul. 



BOLIVIA. 



I inclose a table showing the amount of paper imported into Bo- 

 livia from the different countries during the first six months of 1898. 

 The information was very hard to obtain, and constant interviews 

 and correspondence have taken place since last December regarding 

 the subject. I am indebted for the data obtained to Consuls Meir, 

 of Mollendo, and Green, of Antofagasta; to Mr. Ballarian, of La 

 Paz; and to numerous merchants of La Paz, Cochabamba, Sucre, 



and Oraro. 



GEORGE H. BRIDGMAN, 



LA PAZ, June <?, 1899. Minister. 



